Last week, I wrote an article about the merits of heavy hockey in the playoffs, an article that proved to be one of the most contentious I’ve ever written.

That’s to be expected given the subjectivity of the topic at hand, but the degree of controversy it provoked in the comments sparked a new light towards a deeper understanding of what heavy hockey means to the average fan.

Heavy hockey does not have one set definition, different things are valued by different people whether it be pure physicality, consistent pressure, a relentless forecheck, a strong cycle game, winning battles, recovering pucks, finishing checks and just simply not being pushed around. All those things matter, but matter differently depending on who’s watching. To me, heavy hockey means physical hockey: using your body to create pressure, to win battles, to recover pucks, to cycle it, to forecheck – just letting your opponent know you’re there and you’re not going to give them much...